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About RetroMC

The oldest running English Minecraft Beta server, and the community that keeps it going.

Our server

RetroMC is a Minecraft Beta server that has been running since 2014. It started as a small community server and grew into the oldest running English server in the Beta community. A dedicated team of staff and developers keeps it that way, with its own custom plugins and server software.

Watch the server trailer

Version
Beta 1.7.3
Server IP
mc.retromc.org
Founded
June 2014
Hosted in
Canada (OVHcloud)
Uptime
24/7

Our projects

Running a Beta server for over a decade means building a lot of our own tools. Many of them are open source and used well beyond RetroMC.

Beta Evolutions
A client for Beta 1.7.3 that fixes skins, capes and sounds, and adds optional modern features like proximity voice chat.
Legacy Minecraft
A multi-server project spearheaded by RetroMC to provide shared tools and infrastructure for the legacy Minecraft community, with server jars, plugins, launchers and modding resources gathered in one place. Its projects include:
  • Project Poseidon

    A modernised fork of CraftBukkit that patches exploits and adds UUID support. Co-developed alongside BetaMC, OSM and BetaCraft, and used by many Beta and Alpha servers.

  • Legacy Tracker

    A live server list for legacy Minecraft versions.

  • Legacy Minecraft Ban Database

    A shared ban database that helps servers keep known rule-breakers out.

See our code on GitHub

Our history

SpacewolfE founded RetroMC in 2014 and first announced it on the Minecraft Forums on June 18th that year. It was built as a refuge for players who found the newest updates too complex.

  1. 18th June 2014

    RetroMC Creation

    RetroMC is originally created by SpacewolfE, providing a sanctuary to players wanting a simpler experience.

  2. 9th September 2016

    RetroMC Shutdown

    Due to unknown reasons at the time, RetroMC shut down unexpectedly. Communication attempts with the old owner went unanswered.

  3. Early 2017

    RetroMC Revival

    JohnyMuffin established a Minecraft Beta server as a substitute for RetroMC. The server was publicized within a Discord group, primarily consisting of ex-OakGlen members (a town from the original RetroMC). Initially, the server was whitelist-only for former members, causing it to remain inactive for the majority of 2017.

  4. 19th November 2017

    Going Public

    JohnyMuffin's renewed interest in the server prompted efforts to improve and ready it for a public release. The whitelist was removed and the server was advertised on the Minecraft Forums.

  5. 13th April 2018

    BetaLands Merge (RetroLands)

    The owner of BetaLands expressed a desire to merge RetroMC and BetaLands due to several external factors. Within a few days, RetroMC and BetaLands were successfully combined. This merger brought about significant changes that still have an impact on RetroMC to this day. Prior to the merge, RetroMC lacked an economy, a land claiming system, and other features.

  6. 3rd June 2018

    BetaLands Split (RetroLands)

    The differing opinions of Sweetz and Johny ultimately caused the separation of RetroMC and BetaLands. Following the unsuccessful merger, the server endured a challenging period. For some time, communication between RetroMC and BetaLands was non-existent. Nevertheless, relations between the two servers gradually improved towards the end of 2018.

  7. December 2018

    Retro Lands is renamed back to RetroMC

  8. 15th March 2019

    The Skylands dimension is added

  9. 8th December 2019

    BetaLands Acquisition

    BetaLands underwent significant changes when Sweetz, its previous owner, sold it to LeeTaeJun due to other commitments outside the game. The server underwent a map reset and other significant modifications, leaving its future uncertain. Later, RetroMC negotiated to take over the server and revert it to its pre-LeeTaeJun state, running it alongside RetroMC with a federated staff team.

  10. 21st January 2020

    Beta Evolutions, JohnyMuffin's client mod, is publicly released

  11. 30th September 2020

    RetroMC starts requiring premium Minecraft accounts

  12. 24th December 2022

    JVillage replaces Towny for villages and land claims

  13. 1st January 2023

    J-Stats, the player statistics website by jade_, launches

  14. 23rd June 2023

    The RetroMC Wiki opens to the public

  15. 2nd March 2024

    BetaLands Closes

    After a sendoff event in September 2023 and a final window for players to transfer to RetroMC, BetaLands shut down for good.

  16. 18th June 2024

    10th Anniversary

    RetroMC turned 10 and celebrated with the 10th Anniversary Tournament. Krissofer took first place, followed by zavdav and TelltheL.

  17. 30th June 2024

    A revamped, nature-themed spawn island opens

  18. 10th December 2024

    Pistons are fully re-enabled

  19. 22nd March 2025

    ArenaFighter is added

  20. 12th October 2025

    MobArena is fully re-enabled

  21. 2nd November 2025

    Questy is added

  22. 1st January 2026

    Beta Evolutions 2 is released to staff for testing

  23. 9th January 2026

    Beta Evolutions 2 is released to the public

  24. 7th April 2026

    Nations are added. The Imperial Union of Nordheim is the first nation to be created

Read the full timeline on the wiki